Washing machine



May 8, 1956 Filed 001,. 19, 1954 E. R. ZADEMACH WASHING MACHINE 8Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. Zkz EZ'ac/elwac I MfM MYW AT .TURNE YS y 8,1956 E. R. ZADEMACH 2,744,532

WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 19, 1954 I v o W/% g 'm Millluau; J 52 INVENTOR. 9 I

58 48 Byllzzc RZac/emac ATTORALEYS May 8, 1956 E. R. ZADEMACH WASHINGMACHINE Filed Oct. 19, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 ON wNN QNN INVENTOR. ErichRZac/e/n CA BY WLVW, M Wm 7 ATTORNEYS QQW N May 8, 1956 E. R. ZADEMACHWASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 19, 1954 INVENTOR. [Kickmam/em May 8, 1956 E. R. ZADEMACH WASHING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed001. 19, 1954 INVENTOR. \B l Eric/Z ffizadcmm/b ATIDRNEYS y 8, 9 6 E. R.ZADEMACH 2,744,532

WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 19, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 m ISG IN V EN TOR.E'lcfi 1?, Zrulmnack Mim Cam 1 My ATTORNEYS y 8, 956 E. R. ZADEMACH2,744,532

WASHING MACHINE Filed Odt. 19, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 [P1, 35 WATER 2INVENTOR.

Z'ra'd jZZaoemr BY m m, cum v United States Patent WASHING MACHINE ErichR. Zademacli, Hillside, N. J., assignor to Metalwash Machinery Company,Elizabeth, N. J., a copartnership Application October 19, 1954, SerialNo. 463,169

3 Claims. (Cl. 134-179 ting pattern all over the interior of the machineso that the rack is cleaned from all angles, the cleaning being morethorough thanthat obtained with previous devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rack washerof the above type wherein the racks are 1 Wheeled into the washer, thedoors closed and the cleaning solutions sprayed on to the rack under theaction of a pump, and wherein when the washing period has beencompleted, a hot rinse is employed, permitting the racks to be removed,clean and ready for reuse.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rackWasher of the above type wherein immediately after the rack is removedthe machine is ready to clean the next rack.

It is still another object ofthe present invention to provide a rackwasher of the above type wherein the hot rinse Water is allowed to draininto the wash tank, causing this tank to overflow slightly, thusreducing pollution in the tank and making up for the Water that-hasevaporated.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rackwasher of the above type wherein the sprayed solution is forced toricochet from the inside of the side and top Walls and door onto therack, effecting a more thorough cleansing thereof.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a cabinet rackwasher bearing the above objects in mind which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts,is easy to use and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention referencemay be had to the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a cabinet rack washer embodying thefeatures of the present invention showing the sliding doors in an openposition and illustrating the external piping and controls;

Figure 2 is an exploded, fragmentary perspective view of the exteriorparts and showing the side tank with he top removed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view showingthe manner of securing adjacent upper housing panels together;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a vertical clamp used inconnection withthe present invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the door jambs; 1

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the front cornerpanels of the housing;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the side or rearpanels of the housing;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the rear cornerpanels of the housing;

Patented May 8, 1956 Figure 9 is a fragmentary developed view of thevertical clamp of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary developed view of the door jamb of Figure 5;

Figure 11 is a developed view of the front corner panel of Figure 6; I

Figure 12 is a developed view of the side or rear panel of Figure 7;

Figure 13 is a developed view of the rear corner panel of Figure 8;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top of the housing;

Figure 15 is a developed View of the top shown in Figure 14;

Figure 16 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the washershowing the manner of mounting the sliding doors;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line17-17 of Figure 18;

Figure 18 is a fragmentary plan view of the door mounting means with thehousing cover removed;

Figure 19 is a vertical sectional view of the washer taken along theline 1919 of Figure 20;

Figure 20 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 20-20 ofFigure 19;

Figure 20a is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line20a-20a of Figure 19;

Figure 21 is a perspective view showing the wash and rinse piping alone;

Figure 22 is a top plan view of the steam pipes, shown alone, with thefront and rear floor supports mounted thereon;

Figure 23 is an end elevational view of the steam coil Figure 22, shownpartly broken away;

Figure 24 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the distributor headfor. the wash piping, taken along the line 2424 of Figure 20;

Figure 25 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along theline '2525 of Figure 2;

Figure 26 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line26--26 of Figure 1; and

Figure 27 is a diagrammatic view showing the circulation of the steam,wash and rinse liquids within the device.

Referring now to the figures, 30 represents a wash tank made up of adownwardly inclined floor 31 having triangular, upwardly bent portions32 (Fig. 2) and integrally formed with a side tank floor 33 (Fig. 19). Awash tank front wall 34 having a laterally bent upper edge 35 issuitably secured along the front edge of floor 31, the front wall 34being provided with a pair of openings 36 (Fig. 2) as well as a coupling38 on each side of the openings 36. A rear wall 38' having a laterallybent upper edge 39 is suitably secured along the rear edge of floor 31,while end walls 40 and 41 are provided with laterally bent upper edges42 and 43, respectively, and are suitably secured along the oppositeends of the floor 31 to complete the wash tank. It will be noted thatthe lower edges of the end walls 40 and 41 extend below the floor 31, asdo the front and rear walls 34 and 38', concealing the slope of thefloor 31 and presenting a more symmetrical appearance. The floor 31 issupported by pipe legs 44 while the outer edge of the central portion ofside tank floor 33 is supported by a pipe leg 45.

A side tank front wall 46 is provided at its upper edge with a laterallybent flange 47 and is secured to the front edge of the side tank floor33, the ends of the wall 46 being integrally formed with end walls 48and 49 provided at their upper edges with laterally bent flanges 50 and51, respectively, as shown in Figure 2.

A pair of elongated rectangular plates 52 and 53 are suitably securedacross the outer corners of the side tank and are provided on theirinner faces with channel shaped members 54. A second pair ofsubstantially square plates 55 and 56 are secured to the innermost,adjacent sides of the openings 36 (Figs. 2 and the plates and 56extending toward each other at their free ends. The outer faces of theplates 55 and 56 are provided with channel shaped members 57 and 58,respectively, the members 57 cooperating with the members 54 toreleasably position a pair of V-shaped strainer screens 59, while themembers 58 cooperate with the members 54 of plate 53 to releasablyposition a pair of second V-shaped strainer screens 60.

The upper edges of the plates 55 and 56 are provided with transverselyaligned U-shaped slots which support a T-shaped overflow trough 61, theintermediate arm 62 thereof extending to the front wall of the side tankwhere it is connected to a coupling 63 passing through the wall 46. Itwill be noted that the transverse portion 64 of the trough 61 extendsfrom end to end of the side tank, while the upper edges of the plates 55and 56 and therefore the trough 61 are disposed below the top of theside tank, the portion 62 having a forwardly and downwardly inclinedbottom (Fig. 19) to facilitate the overflow. It will also be noted thatthe intermediate portion 62 of trough 61 is located olf-center of thetransverse portion 64 providing a space between the intermediate portion62 and the plate 55 for a purpose which will hereinafter become clear.

A cover 65 rests on and is suitably secured to the flanges 47, 51 and 50of the side tank, and is provided with an opening 66 through whichextends a centrifugal pump 67 driven by a motor 68, both of conventionaldesign (Fig. 26).

As shown in Figure 26, the intermediate portion 69 connecting the pump67 and motor 68 is provided with a shoulder 70 below which is secured abase plate 71 and a sub-plate 72, the sub-plate 72 resting on the cover65 and being secured thereto in suitable manner.

It will be noted from Figure 26 that the bottom wall of the transverseportion 64 of trough 61 slopes downwardly toward the intermediateportion 62 to further facilitate the overflow.

The sub-plate 72 is provided with an opening in which is mounted a waterfill pipe 73, while the front wall 46 of the side tank is provided atthe bottom thereof with a coupling 74 for drainage purposes (Fig. 19).

The front wall 34 is provided with an opening about which are securedflanges 75 and 76, the flange 76 securing one end of a pipe 77, theother end of which is connected to the pump 67 by union 78 (Fig. 25).The flange 75 is connected to a T 79 which is in turn connected toavertical pipe 80 and a horizontal pipe 81 (Fig. 21), the horizontal pipe81 extending across the width of the floor 31 and being connected at itsend to an elbow 82. A vertical pipe 83 is connected to elbow 82 andterminates at its top in an elbow 84, while the vertical pipe 80oppositely disposed thereto terminates in an elbow 85.

As shown in Figure 1, the overflow coupling 63 is connected by suitablepiping to an outlet pipe 86 while the drainage coupling 74 is alsoconnected by suitable piping to the same outlet pipe 86, a valve 87being provided intermediate the drainage coupling 74 and the outletpiping 86. The valve 87 will, of course, normally be closed.

As shown in Figure 21 lateral branch pipes 88 are suitably mounted inopenings provided in the horizontal pipe 81, each of the branch pipes 88terminating in an elbow 89 which mounts a vertical branch pipe 90, theupper ends of which are provided with couplings 91 serving to mountnozzles 92. Intermediate vertical pipes 93 are suitably mounted in thebranch pipes 88 intermediate the horizontal pipe 81 and elbows 89 andsimilarly mount at their upper ends nozzles 95 by means of couplings 94.

As shown in Fig. 24, a rotating distributor head 96 is mounted on eachof the elbows 85 and 84.

Each distributor head 96 includes a steel tube 97 screwed at one endinto the elbow 35. The tube 97 is provided intermediate its ends withoppositely disposed openings 98 as well as oppositely disposed openings99, the openings 99 being rotated ninety degrees from the openings 98and displaced longitudinally slightly therefrom. A circular steel plug100 fits in the outer end of the tube 97, being suitably secured thereinand provided with a pair of symmetrically disposed, internally threadedopenings. A brass washer 101 is provided on the tube 97 adjacent theelbow 85 while a bronze bushing 102 is provided on the tube 97 adjacentthe washer 101. A second bronze bushing 103 is provided on the tube 97at the other end thereof, the bushings 102 and 103 serving to mountopposite ends of a distributor casting 104 by means of studs 105. Abrass washer 106 is provided on the end of tube 97 adjacent studs 105, asteel disc 107 being secured against the end of the tube 97 by means ofbolts 108 passing through openings provided therein and screwed into theinternally threaded openings provided in the plug 100.

The distributor casting 104 is provided intermediate the bushings 102and 103 with a cylindrical opening 109 surrounding the openings 98 and99 provided in tube 97, while the exterior of the casting is providedwith four equi-radially spaced hubs 110 communicating with thecylindrical opening 109 by means of internally threaded openings 111.

Each of the hubs 110 has screwed therein a length of pipe 112 providedalong its length with a plurality of nozzles 113, as shown in Figure 21.The nozzles 113 are staggered by reversing the pipes 112 for alternatespokes. The end of each length of pipe 112 is provided with a Y-coupling114 which mounts a nipple 115 connected to a nozzle 116 by means of anelbow 117, the Y-coupling 114 also serving to mount an elbow 118terminating in nozzle 119.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 25 and 27, washing solution from the tank 30passes into the side tank through the strainers 59 and 60 where it ispumped by centrifugal pump 67 through pipe 77 into T 79 from where it ispumped up vertical pipe 80 (and also along the horizontal pipe 81 to bepumped up the vertical pipe 83) to the distributor heads 96 where thewash solution enters the tube 97 to be forced out of the openings 98 and99 into the pipes 112 and out of the nozzles 113, 116 and 119. Thus, dueto the jet action of the escaping water through the nozzles, thedistributor heads 96 will rotate about the tubes 97 on which they arerotatably mounted by means of the bushing 102, imparting a pin wheeleffect. These revolving spray arms 112 with their nozzles 113, 116 and119 will spray the cleaning solution in a dense, hard-hitting patternall over the interior of the machine so that the rack is cleaned fromall angles, this cleaning being more thorough than that obtained withprevious methods. The wash solution then returns to the wash tank 30where it is recycled by the pump 67, after passing through strainers 59and 60.

As shown in Figure l, the hot water supply is delivered to an inlet pipe120 connected to a back-flow preventer 121 by elbow 122, the preventer121 connecting with a T 123 by means of elbow 124, one outlet of T 123being connected to a pipe 126 extending downwardly through the waterfill tube 73 to supply the tank. A valve 127 is provided in the pipe126. After the tank has been filled, the valve 127 will, of course, beclosed. The other outlet of T 123 connects with a hot water rinse pipe128, a valve 129 being provided intermediate the pipe 128 and T 123, asshown in Figure 1. A strainer 289 and a magnetic piloted piston valve290 are provided in the rinse line intermediate T 123 and pipe 128.

The rinse piping 128 passes inwardly across the top of the tank where itis connected to a four-way fitting 291 (Figs. 1 and 21). A central pipe292 is connected to the outlet of fitting 219 aligned with the pipe 128,a T 293 being mounted at the end of the pipe 292. Oppositely disposedhorizontal pipes 294 are connected to the other outlets of the fitting291 and terminatein elbows 295.

Vertical pipes 296 are connected to the elbows 295 and extend downwardlythrough the top of the tank, the vertical pipes 296 being provided witha plurality of vertically spaced nozzles 156. The lower ends of thepipes 296 terminate above the liquid level in tank 30 (Fig. 27) and areclosed by plugs 297. Oppositely disposed horizontal pipes 298 areconnected to the outlets of the T 293 and terminate in elbows 299.Vertical pipes 300 are connected at their upper ends to the elbows 299,extending downwardly through the top of the tank and terminating abovethe liquid level in tank 30 in a manner similar to the vertical pipes296, the lower ends of the pipes 300 being closed by plugs 301. Each ofthe pipes 300 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spacednozzles 141.

The horizontal pipes 294 on opposite sides of the fitting 291 areprovided with Ts 302 within which are secured the upper ends of thevertical pipes 303 extending downwardly through the top of the tank,,thelower ends of the pipes 303 terminating above the liquid level of tank30 and having secured thereto the elbows 304. The pipes 303 are providedwith a plurality of longitudinally spaced nozzles 305. An inwardlyextending pipe 306 is connected to each of the elbows 304, the pipes 306terminating in Ts 307. The Ts 307 serve to mount transverse piping 308having closed ends and provided near these closed ends with nozzles 309.

The pipes 298 are provided with Ts 310 on opposite sides of the T 93which mount the upper ends of the vertical pipes 311 extendingdownwardly through the top of the tank and terminating above the liquidlevel of tank 30 in elbows 312. Each of the vertical pipes 311 .isprovided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced nozzles 313. Each ofthe elbows 312 is provided with an inwardly extending pipe 314 whichterminates in a T 315.

The Ts 315 serve to mount the transverse piping 316' having closed endsand provided near these closed ends with the nozzles 317.

Thus, upon opening the valve 129, the hot rinse water will flowhorizontally through the pipe 292, through the strainer 289 and into thepiping 294, 298 and downwardly through the vertical pipes 296, 300, 303and 311, where it will be ejected through the nozzles 156, 141, 305 and313. It will also flow through the pipes 306, 314, 308 and 316 to beejected through the nozzles 309 and 317. The spent rinse solution willthen drop back into the wash tank 30 where it will be recycled by thepump 67 after passing through the strainer screens 59 and 60.

By supplying the hot water rinse from above, there is no possibility ofcontaminating the water. Otherwise, the

bottom rinse piping would be submerged in the wash'solution oftank 30and a leak could siphon the solution into the fresh water supply.Furthermore, the suspension of the rinse piping from the top of the tankmakes it easier to clean the bottom portion of the tank byavoidingobstruction of the latter. It will be noted that the lower ends of therinse piping are freely spaced above the liquid level of the washsolution. I

As shown in Figure 1, the coupling 131 is connected to a self-operatingsteam regulator 164 including capillary tubing 165 and a separablesocket 166, the regulator 164 being connected to a steam supply inletpiping 167 through a strainer 168. Steam will be supplied to the inletpiping 167 in suitable manner at a minimum of twelve poundsper squareinch, a valve 169 being provided. The coupling 131 (Fig. 22) isconnected to a pipe 170 which is 6 a header 173, communicating with theinterior thereof, the other end of header 173 being completely closed.

A symmetrically disposed coupling 174 is provided in the other opening38 provided on the other side of the openings 36 in the front wall 34,the coupling 174 being connected to a pipe 175 which is in turnconnected to a pipe 176 by means of the flange union 177. The other endof pipe 176 is connected to the closed end of a pipe 178, communicatingwith the interior thereof, the other end of the pipe 178 beingcompletely closed. As shown in Figure 23, the pipes 173 and 178 areprovided with are provided. with longitudinally spaced, transverselyaligned openings connected by transverse pipes 181.

Thus, steam supplied to the pipe 167, upon opening valve 169 will passthrough strainer 168 and regulator 164 to enter the header 173'where itwill be circulated transversely through the pipes 181 into the pipe 178,leaving by the pipes 176 and 175 through a suitable strainer and steamtrap for condensate return, not shown.

' The steam passing through the pipes 173, 181 and 178 will serve toheat the wash solution in the wash tank 30 before the solution is pumpedthrough the wash piping.

Thesymmetric construction of the steam coil and its supply connectionpermits right or left hand installation of the supply lines.

Vertical floor supports 182 and 183 are welded to the top of each of thepipes 173 and 178, each floor support 182 including a fiat body portion184 supported on legs 185and 186 and by transverse legs 187 and 188disposed at right angles to the legs 185 and 186, the bottom edgesof'legs 185, 186, 187 and 188 being welded to the pipes 17.3;and 178.Each support 183 includes a body portion 189 supported on co-planar legs190 and 191 as Well as 191, 192 and 193 being welded to the top of pipes173 and 178. The body portions 184 and 189 are provided near theiradjacent ends along their upper edges with semi-circular slots for apurpose which will hereinafter become clear.

As shown in Figure 2, an upper housing assembly 19 is provided andincludes a pair of front corner panels 195 and 196 (identical in shapeand size but of opposite hand), a pair of side panels 197, a pair ofrear corner panels 198 (identical in size and shape but of oppositehand), and rear panel 199 identical with side panels 197, and connectingthe'rear corner panels 198.

As shown in Figures 6 and 11, each front corner of panels 195 and 196 ismade up of a rectangular blank 200 'of Figure 6, and welded in thisarrangement. The lower edges of the blanks 200 are provided withopenings 208 permitting the panels 195 and 196 to be secured within thewash tank side walls 41, 38 and 34 at the tops of the latter by means ofhorizontal clamps 319 and nuts and bolts 320 '(Fig. 16). Each of theside panels 197 and the rear panel 199 is made of a rectangular blank209 of sheet metal provided-at the upper edges with I square cornercut-outs 210 and 211 defining vertical flaps 212 and 213 and ahorizontal flap 214 (see Figs. 7 and 12). The flaps 212, 213 and 214arebent at right angles to the body portion, as shown .in Figure 7 andwelded in this position. The lower edge of the blank 209 is securedwithin the wash tank front and rear walls 34 and 38 and end wall 40 bymeans of openings 215 and horizontal clamps and nuts and bolts, notshown, the flaps 213 being disposed alongside of the vertical flaps 293of front corner panel 195, in the case of the side panels 197 andsecured thereto by means of vertical clamp 216, the flaps 213 and 203and the clamp 216 being provided with aligned, longitudinally spacedopenings receiving nuts 217 and bolts 218 (see Fig. 3). Washers 219 maybe provided intermediate the heads of bolts 218 and clamp 216 whilewashers 220 may be provided intermediate the clamp 216 and nut 217.

Door jambs 221 and 222, identical in size and shape but of oppositehand, are provided and are formed from a rectangular blank 223 providedat its upper corners with a square cut-out 224 defining a vertical flap225 and an angular cut-out 226 defining a vertical flap 227 and ahorizontal flap 228, substantially as illustrated in Figure 10. Thevertical flaps 225 and 227 and the horizontal fiap 228 are bent into theposition shown in Figure 5 and welded, the flap 225 being disposedagainst the flap 204 of the front corner panel 195 and secured theretoby means of vertical clamps 216 and nuts and bolts passing throughaligned openings provided in the clamps and flaps.

As shown in Figures 8 and 12, each of the rear corner panels 193 is madeup of a blank 229 provided at its upper corners with square cut outs 230and 231 defining vertical flaps 23-2 and 233 and a horizontal flap 234.The horizontal flap 234 is provided with a V-shaped cutout 235 and theblanks and flaps folded in the manner shown in Figure 8 and welded. Thelower edge of the blank 229 is provided with openings 236 by means ofwhich the rear corner panels are secured within the wash tank front wall34, rear wall 38 and end wall 40 by means of aligned openings providedin the upper edges of the wash tank walls and horizontal clamps and nutsand bolts, not shown. The flap 232 is disposed alongside the flap 212 ofside panel 197 and is secured thereto by means of a vertical clamp 216and nuts and bolts passing through aligned openings provided in theflaps and clamp. The flaps 233 are similarly secured to the adjacentflaps of the rear panel 199, which latter is identical in structure withthe side panels 197.

As shown in Figures 14 and 15 a cover 236 is provided and consists ofcomplementary rectangular blanks 237a and 2375 provided with squarecorner cut-outs 238, 239. 240 and 241 defining longitudinal fiaps 242and 243 and lateral flaps 244 and 245, the four flaps being up wardlybent at right angles to the blank 237 and Welded to provide theconstruction shown in Figure 14. The adjaccnt inner longitudinal edgesof blanks 237a and 23771 are secured together by means of integral,downwardly turned flaps 321 and an elongated brace 322 (Fig. 16). Theblank 237 around its periphery is provided with openings 246 adapted tobe aligned with corresponding openings provided in the flaps 295, 214and 234 of the front and rear corner panels and the rear and side panelsand secured by means of nuts and bolts, not shown, located in thesealigned openings.

The blank 237 is provided with a central opening 247 in which ispositioned an elbow 248 communicating directly with the roof by means ofa duct 249 (Fig. 1). Suitable blower means may be provided Within theduct 249 if forced ventilation is desired. A plurality of elongatedbraces 250 of substantially U-shaped cross section are welded across thecover 236 as shown in Figure 2. These braces are located above thevertical flaps of the side panels bolted together with clamps 216,providing a more rigid construction.

The design of the rackwasher permits either right hand or left handlocation of side tank, without construction changes.

All punched holes in bottom tank are symmetric and match the holes ofthe side walls.

The steam heating coils or gas heated coils are also constructedsymmetrically in relation to the tank and need not be reversed. Thefloor supports welded to the coils are in symmetric location. Only thefloor plates need reversing.

Thus, once on location, the customer can set the ma chine up as a righthand unit (side tank on right hand side) or as a left hand unit, withoutany change whatsoever. This is of great advantage, as often the finallocation of the machine is changed as an after thought. it simplifiesthe manufacture, as only one standard unit is produced; no rights, nolefts.

A semi-circular track support bracket 251 of substantially L-shapedcross section is suitably secured along its horizontal portion 252 tothe undersurface of cover 236, the vertical portion 253 thereof beingsuitably secured to a track support 254 (Figs. 16 through 18). The tracksupport 254 consists of a pair of semi-circular halves 255 terminatingshort of each other at the front of the housing in laterally bentportions 256.

A semi-circular track 257 of substantially L-shaped cross section ismade up of a pair of halves 258 identical in size and shape but ofopposite hand, each of the halves 258 being suitably secured along itsvertical portion 259 to the bottom of track support 255.

A door transom frame and shield 260 is secured to the undersurface ofcover 236, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, and includes an arcuate bodyportion 261 integrally formed along its inner arcuate edge with a curveddepending flange 262 serving as a guide and shield in a manner to behereinafter described. The transom frame 260 is also provided with astraight front flange 263 as well as straight end flanges 264, the framebeing secured in place by means of the end flanges 264, which aresuitably secured to the upper portions of the front corner panels andthe door jambs 221 (Fig. 16).

A door sill 265 is provided and consists of a flat arcuate body portion266 and channel-shaped brackets 2 7 secured to the ends and front ofportion 266 on the underface thereof and by means of which the sill 265is positioned and secured within the assembly within the top of the washtank 30. It will be noted that the inner edge 268 of the sill is alignedvertically with the inner face of the curved flange 262 of the doortransom frame 260.

A pair of doors 269 and 270 of arcuate cross section, identical in sizeand shape, but of opposite hand, are provided, each of the doors beingsupported at its upper edges in sliding contact with the inner face ofthe flange 262 by means of a heavy structural flat 271 secured behindthe doors by means of bolts 272. A pair of rollers 274 are rotatablymounted behind each of the flats 271 by means of bolts 275 and bushings276, the bolts being screwed into flat 271. A washer 277 is providedintermediate the head of each bolt 275 and roller 274. Thus, the doors269 and 270 are supported in the position shown in Figure 17 by means ofthe rollers 274 resting on the tracks 258, permitting the doors to heslid into the open position of Figure l or closed, as desired. The outervertical ends of the doors 269 and 270 are provided with laterally bentportions 278 (Fig. 16) adapted to abut the jambs 221 and 222, whereby tolimit the displacement of the doors in an obvious manner. it will benoted that the lower edges of the doors 269 and 271 extend downwardlybelow the sill 265 in sliding contact with the inner edge 268 of thelatter.

The inner vertical edge of the door 269 has secured thereto on oppositesides two elongated strips 279 and 279a adapted to resiliently engagethe corresponding edge of the other door 270 whereby to provide awaterproof seal when the doors are closed.

A pair of symmetrical floors 281 and 282 are provided, each floorconsisting of a flat, body portion 283 adapted to cover one-half thefloor space and integrally formed along its central longitudinal edgewith a downwardly extending flange 284 adapted to abut the correspondingflange of the adjacent floor.

The outer longitudinal edge of each body portion 283 is integrallyformed with an upwardly extending flange 285 (Fig. 1), while the forwardedge of each body por tion 283 is arcuately curved so as to coincidewith the curved inner faces of the doors 269 and 270. The floors 281 and282 are supported (see Fig. 22) at each end by the front and rear floorsupports 182 and 183, the undersurface of the floors 281 and 282 fixedlycarrying suitable lengths of pipe adapted to fit snugly within the slotsprovided on the upper edges of the floor supports 182 and 183, as shownin Figure 19. The central portion of 7 each of the floors 281 and 282fixedly carries a center floor support 282 similar in structure to thefloor supports 182 and 183 and adapted to rest on the pipes 181. Thus,the floors 281 and 282 may be readily removed in the manner shown indotted outline in Figure 23, providing access to the wash tank andpiping system.

As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the vertical wash pipes 80 and 83 arefurther secured in position by means of brackets 287 suitably connectedat their ends to the interior of the upper housing 194.

It will be noted that the panels making up the upper housing assembly194 are symmetrical, effecting thereby an economy of manufacture. Forexample, the side panels 197 are identical in size and shape with therear panel 199, while the rear corner panels 198 are identical in sizeand shape but of opposite hand. Similarly, the front corner panels 195and 196 are likewise identical in size and shape but of opposite hand,as are the door jambs 221 and 222. Each of the foregoing panels may befabricated from blanks in the manner described and readily and easilyformed by power brake into the appropriate configuration. It will alsobe apparent that the manner of assembling the particular panels to makeup the upper housing assembly is extremely simple and easy, while at thesame time providing a waterproof seal, namely the cooperation of theadjacent vertical flaps secured together by the vertical clamps 216 andthe nuts and bolts.

A monorail assembly is provided for rolling the rack 289 into the upperhousing assembly and includes an I beam 323 secured to the undersurfaceof the cover 236' by means of the plates 324 (Fig. 20), the plates 324being disposed on opposite sides of the brace 322 and secured thereto bybolts 325. A roller assembly 326 (Fig. 27) is adapted to ride the I beam323 and supports the top of the rack 289 by means of loop 327 and hook328. Alternately, a rack 289a may be mounted upon rollers 329 andwheeled into the upper housing assembly by means of a ramp, not shown,or by sinking the wash tank 30 below fioor level.

In operation with the rack 289 or 289a within the upper housingassembly, the doors 279 and 280 are closed, sealing the rack within thewaterproof upper housing assembly. The hot wash or cleaning solution isthen run into the tank 30 by opening the valve 127 and filled to skimmertrough level. The wash or cleaning solution is heated by opening thesteam valve 169, which causes the steam to circulate through the pipes173, 181 and 178, transferring its heat to the wash solution. The hotwash solution is then drawn through the strainer screens 59 and 60 topump 67. From here it is delivered to the wash piping 80 and 83 to bedistributed by the revolving spray arms 112 through the nozzles 113,spraying the cleaning solution in a dense, hard-hitting pattern all overthe interior of the machine so that the rack is cleaned from all angles,providing a more thorough cleansing than has hitherto been obtained. Therevolving spray arms 112 may rotate in the same or opposite directions.When the washing period has been completed, the pump 67 is turned offand the hot rinse valve 129 opened, both by means of a timer, deliveringhot water from the plant supply line to the rinse piping 128, 292, 294,298, 296, 300, 303 and 311 (see Fig. 21). The hot rinse is alsodelivered by means of the branch piping 306, 308, 314 and 316 and thenozzles 309 and 317. With the hot water rinse, the racks are removedclean and ready for reuse.

It will also be noted that the Washing solution will be deliveredupwardly through the movable floors 281 and 282 by means of the branchpiping 88, 93 and 90.

It will be noted that the jet action of the wash solution as it escapesthrough the nozzles 113 will cause the arms 112 to revolve, spraying thesolution over all the interior of the machine. 7

The hot rinse water is allowed to drain into the wash tank 30, causingthis tank to overflow slightly through the trough 61, thus reducingpollution in the tank and making up for water that has evaporated.Periodically the strainer screens 59 and 60 will be removed and cleanedby merely slipping them upwardly from the side tank out of the channelmembers 54, 57 and 58.

It will be noted that during the washing operation the same washsolution will be. recycled, effecting thereby an economy of heattransfer.

The ecrnplete upper housing assembling, including the doors, is made ofstainless steel or other suitable material, the respective panels beingheld together by means of the stainless steel vertical clamps 216 ofspecial construction.

The temperature of the wash solution is automatically controlled by theself-operating steam regulator 164.

The rinse water cycle is controlled by solenoid or motorized valve 298operated by automatic selection cycle control.

The hand operated timer, not shown, for the pumps 67 can be set from 15seconds to half hour operation followed by a rinse of prearrangedduration.

The rinsing can also be accomplished by means of the manually operatedvalve 129, in case of failure of automatic operation, the rinsingsolution draining into the tank and helping thereby to make up forlosses by evaporation or other losses and serving to keep the tankclean. This rinsing feature is very important, particularly in locationswhere sanitary inspection is very stringent.

While the above washing apparatus has been described in connection witha rack, it will be readily apparent that it may be used for washing milkcans and mixing bowls or any other metal parts.

The operation of the device is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure27.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall bewithin the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. A washing apparatus comprising a housing assembly adapted to receivetherewithin the articles to be washed, spray means located within saidhousing, means for supplying washing solution to said spray means, saidspray means including a main pipe located within said assembly andconnected to said solution supplying means, a substantially verticalpipe attached to said main pipe, distributor means rotatably mounted onsaid vertical pipe, a plurality of radially spaced pipes extendingoutwardly from said distributor means and a plurality of nozzlesprovided along the length of each of said radially spaced pipes and abifurcated portion at the end of each of said radially spaced pipes, onebranch of said bifurcated portion being aligned with said radiallyspaced pipes, and a nozzle at each end of said bifurcated portion.

2. A washing apparatus comprising a housing assembly adapted to receivetherewithin the articles to be washed, spray means located within saidhousing, means for supplying washing solution to said spray means, saidspray means including a main pipe located within said assembly andconnected to said solution supplying means, a substantially verticalpipe attached to said main pipe, distributor means rotatably mounted onsaid vertical pipe, a plurality of radially spaced pipes extendingoutwardly from said distributor means and a plurality of nozzlesprovided along the length of each of said radially spaced pipes, and aplurality of substantially horizontal branch pipes connected to saidmain pipe intermediate its ends, a plurality of vertical branch pipesconnected to each of said horizontal branch pipes and a nozzle at theupper end of each of said vertical pipes.

3. A distributor for Washing apparatus including a tube adapted to beconnected to a fixed pipe, said tube being provided with a plurality ofradially spaced openings, a distributor head mounted on said tube andhaving a substantially hollow interior portion in communication withsaid openings in said tube, said distributor head having a plurality ofradially spaced hubs each communicating with said interior portion andadapted to support radially extending pipes, and an end cap for saidtube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,417,162 Gagen May 23, 1922 1,528,069 Merseles Mar. 3, 1923 1,628,818Zademach May 17, 1927 1,749,947 Kaufiman Mar. 11, 1930 2,143,039Stoddard Ian. 10, 1939 2,201,284 Bilde May 21, 1940 2,635,027 RasmussenApr. 14, 1953

